Grievances

Grievance rights and procedures ensure an objective review of employees' complaints. Employees who feel they have been unfairly treated have the right to present their written grievances for consideration and decision. Employees may file grievances on their own behalf, and can be advised by and/or represented by a representative of their own choosing.

If a grievance is filed to seek review of an action that you took, the following guidelines should be followed:

An employee desiring consideration of a grievance must first seek informal resolution of the matter through supervisory channels.

A request for informal resolution of a grievance should be within 15 days after the incident from which the dispute arose or 15 days from the date the employee became aware of the matter giving rise to the grievance. The initial presentation will normally be made to the first-level supervisor.

The employee must be given a written decision within 7 days after the date of the presentation of the informal grievance. The written decision will contain the reasons and rationale on which the decision is based, and will inform the employee of the right to present the grievance under the formal procedure if dissatisfied with the decision under the informal process. The employee will also be referred to the Servicing Personnel Office for technical assistance concerning the formal grievance procedures.

A grievance cannot be rejected for any reason under the informal process.

The grievance process encourages employees to take advantage of the alternative dispute resolution process to try to resolve the issue.

Formal Grievance Procedures

An employee's formal grievance will be filed with the Servicing Human Resources Office. The formal grievance must be in writing and contain sufficient detail to identify and clarify the basis for the grievance. The Servicing Human Resources Office will make a technical review of the grievance and, within 7 days, will take action to accept or reject the grievance. If the grievance is accepted, the Servicing Human Resources Office will determine the appropriate deciding official. The deciding official will issue a written decision within 20 days after receipt of the grievance file.
The employee also has the opportunity to take advantage of the alternative dispute resolution process during formal stage.